Gators Take Third NCAC Title in Four Years

May 5, 2007

Box Score

GRANVILLE, Ohio – After a year layoff, the Allegheny College Gators won their third North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) title in the past four years with a 2-0 victory over Denison University in the final game of the league championship. The Big Red won the first game between the two teams, winning 4-1 and forcing a second game of the afternoon.

Rachel Ryan (West Salem, Ohio/Northwestern) was named the NCAC Tournament Most Valuable Player, joining Alicia Morley (Sinclairville, N.Y./Cassadaga Valley), Abby Bodenlos (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shady Side Academy), Allison Korotkin (Birmingham, Mich./Detroit Country Day) and Liz Burr (Farmdale, Ohio/Badger) on the All-Tournament Team.

Korotkin struck out four while walking three and scattering seven hits in taking her season record to 7-4 on the year.

The Gators got the opening run of the second game when Ryan hit a towering sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Abby Bodenlos, who had doubled to lead off the inning. Katie Wills (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour), who reached on a single, advanced to second on a rundown and then to third on a wild pitch, was driven in with a single up the middle by Liz Burr, giving the Gators a 2-0 lead after an inning.

Following the inning, the game went on a three-hour, 18-minute rain delay, pushing the start time to 6:45 p.m. In the first inning back the Gators nearly added another run after Rebecca Burns (Rogersville, Pa./West Greene) walked and Abby Bodenlos hit a driving shot to left field, as the Big Red fielder made a great play by catching the ball on the run for the third out in the inning.

Neither team threatened until the top of the sixth inning, when the Big Red put runners on second and third with one out in the inning, when the next batter grounded out to shortstop Ryan, who looked the runner at third back and then tossed the ball to first baseman Stephanie Lasinski (Gibsonia, Pa./Pine-Richland), who then tossed the ball to catcher Crystal Ptacek (Allison Park, Pa./North Allegheny) for the tag-out at the play at the plate, ending the inning.

After being held scoreless in the bottom of the sixth, Korotkin struck out the first batter she faced in the top of the seventh inning before Brie Burkopec hit a driving shot that hit the very top part of the fence, bouncing into the field of play for a double. A flyout to Sarah Reilly (Dunkirk, N.Y./Dunkirk) gave the Gators their second out, as Korotkin walked the next batter to put runners on first and second before the final batter hit a popup to Ryan, ending the game and sending the Gators home with the league championship.

The Gators will find their NCAA Tournament destination and opponents on Monday.

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